What do you think?
Rate this book
Not God Enough: Why Your Small God Leads to Big Problems
Your God is too small.
We like God small. We prefer a God who is safe, domesticated, who thinks like we think, likes what we like, and whom we can manage, predict, and control. A small God is convenient. Practical. Manageable.
The truth: God is big. Bigger than big. Bigger than all the words we use to say big.
Ironically, many today seem turned off by the concept of an awesome, terrifyingly great God. We assume that a God you would need to fear is guilty of some kind of fault. For us, thinking of God as so infinitely greater and wiser than we are and who would cause us to tremble in his presence is a leftover relic from an oppressive, archaic view of religion.
But what if this small version of God we’ve created is holding us back from the greatest experience of our lives—from genuine, confident, world-transforming faith?
In Not God Enough, J.D. reveals how to discover a God who:
is big enough to handle your questions, doubts, and fears
is not silent
is worthy of worship
wants to take you from boring to bold in your faith
has a purpose and mission for you on earth
is pursuing you right now
God is not just a slightly better, slightly smarter version of you. God is infinite and glorious, and an encounter with Him won’t just change the way you think about your faith. It’ll change your entire life.
We like God small. We prefer a God who is safe, domesticated, who thinks like we think, likes what we like, and whom we can manage, predict, and control. A small God is convenient. Practical. Manageable.
The truth: God is big. Bigger than big. Bigger than all the words we use to say big.
Ironically, many today seem turned off by the concept of an awesome, terrifyingly great God. We assume that a God you would need to fear is guilty of some kind of fault. For us, thinking of God as so infinitely greater and wiser than we are and who would cause us to tremble in his presence is a leftover relic from an oppressive, archaic view of religion.
But what if this small version of God we’ve created is holding us back from the greatest experience of our lives—from genuine, confident, world-transforming faith?
In Not God Enough, J.D. reveals how to discover a God who:
is big enough to handle your questions, doubts, and fears
is not silent
is worthy of worship
wants to take you from boring to bold in your faith
has a purpose and mission for you on earth
is pursuing you right now
God is not just a slightly better, slightly smarter version of you. God is infinite and glorious, and an encounter with Him won’t just change the way you think about your faith. It’ll change your entire life.
240 pages, Paperback
Published February 6, 2018
200 people are currently reading
701 people want to read
About the author
J.D. Greear
69 books223 followersJ.D. Greear, Ph.D., did his degree work in Christian and Islamic theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. He is Lead Pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, NC. The Summit’s vision is to plant 1,000 churches in by the year 2040. Currently, they have planted 11 and have several church planting teams stationed around the world.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
January 26, 2025
“A god small enough to be understood is not big enough to be worshiped.” – Evelyn Underhill
The God of American Christianity often resembles a cross between a wish-granting genie and an inspirational speaker who wants you to know just how special you are. Such a God is inadequate for the real world and bears little resemblance to the God of the Bible. This book calls people back to “the fear of the Lord.” Fearing God is not about cringing terror (though it sometimes produces that), but about reacting in awe to how infinitely great (and infinitely holy, and infinitely loving, and infinitely gracious, etc.) the eternal I AM is and just how small, limited, and dependent on him we are in comparison.
J. D. Greear uses a skillful blend of Scripture exposition, illustrations, and humor to help give us some perspective (if such a thing is possible for our finite minds) on the infinite God who loves us and what implications that has for our lives. I might quibble with how he interprets a few of the passages he uses, but this is an excellent and encouraging book that I would highly recommend.
I would also recommend pairing it with The Imperfect Disciple by Jared C. Wilson which offers more “where the rubber meets the road” applications of what it looks like to live in light of God’s infinite grace in the day-to-day.
The God of American Christianity often resembles a cross between a wish-granting genie and an inspirational speaker who wants you to know just how special you are. Such a God is inadequate for the real world and bears little resemblance to the God of the Bible. This book calls people back to “the fear of the Lord.” Fearing God is not about cringing terror (though it sometimes produces that), but about reacting in awe to how infinitely great (and infinitely holy, and infinitely loving, and infinitely gracious, etc.) the eternal I AM is and just how small, limited, and dependent on him we are in comparison.
J. D. Greear uses a skillful blend of Scripture exposition, illustrations, and humor to help give us some perspective (if such a thing is possible for our finite minds) on the infinite God who loves us and what implications that has for our lives. I might quibble with how he interprets a few of the passages he uses, but this is an excellent and encouraging book that I would highly recommend.
I would also recommend pairing it with The Imperfect Disciple by Jared C. Wilson which offers more “where the rubber meets the road” applications of what it looks like to live in light of God’s infinite grace in the day-to-day.
May 1, 2018
5+++++ stars, incredible book! Highly recommend, I already want to start over and reread it to catch all of JD’s great points.
January 5, 2023
“If God were small enough to be understood He would not be big enough to be worshipped.”
This was a great book. Great, because it’s really gotten me thinking about how I see God. A God who I can put my absolute faith in needs to be a big God. In the scriptures, God does show us and illustrate who He is and what He’s like. But regardless, we definitely still tend to construct our own small and thereby fallible version. That is not the God we can truly love. The magnificent and holy God found in scriptures can be loved. This book serves as a good reminder of who that God is. Not the author’s own version, but God as He is and as He shows himself to us.
July 22, 2019
If there is one thing I’d want you to read from this book, it’d be this excerpt below.
“Rhonda, a girl in her mid twenties, grew up in New England and was about as unfamiliar with the Christian message as any American I’d ever met. So I started with the basics - who God is and why Jesus came. She asked a lot of questions. But I wasn’t prepared for the question she asked toward the end:
‘You actually believe this?’
‘Yes, of course I do,’ I said.
She replied, ‘Because if I actually believed what you are saying-that everyone in my life who didn’t know Jesus was separated from God’s love and headed to hell- I’m not sure how I would make it through the day. I would constantly be on my knees pleading with people to listen. But you... you don’t seem that bother by all this. You are a great debater, but you don’t seem that upset that I am not persuaded.’”
Never have I felt more convicted.
“Rhonda, a girl in her mid twenties, grew up in New England and was about as unfamiliar with the Christian message as any American I’d ever met. So I started with the basics - who God is and why Jesus came. She asked a lot of questions. But I wasn’t prepared for the question she asked toward the end:
‘You actually believe this?’
‘Yes, of course I do,’ I said.
She replied, ‘Because if I actually believed what you are saying-that everyone in my life who didn’t know Jesus was separated from God’s love and headed to hell- I’m not sure how I would make it through the day. I would constantly be on my knees pleading with people to listen. But you... you don’t seem that bother by all this. You are a great debater, but you don’t seem that upset that I am not persuaded.’”
Never have I felt more convicted.
August 4, 2023
While I was thinking about whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars, a few things went through my mind.
The author quoted a couple that I didn't like. He didn't emphasize a couple of things that I thought he should. But then I thought, Innis, wake up this is a truly great book. By the way, he quoted many of my favorite authors as well.
I highly recommend this book. It is filled with Scripture and that is really what we need. I not only really liked this book, I believe that I benefited from reading it. I plan to read it again! My wife, Shirley, was reading this book and recommended it to me; it was a great recommendation.
The author quoted a couple that I didn't like. He didn't emphasize a couple of things that I thought he should. But then I thought, Innis, wake up this is a truly great book. By the way, he quoted many of my favorite authors as well.
I highly recommend this book. It is filled with Scripture and that is really what we need. I not only really liked this book, I believe that I benefited from reading it. I plan to read it again! My wife, Shirley, was reading this book and recommended it to me; it was a great recommendation.
March 24, 2024
J. D. Greer has written an excellent book that brings the reader nose-to-nose with the promises and power of God. Written with wry humor, Greer makes the point that God is willing to do far more prayer-answering and life-changing than the average believer seems to believe. He is urging that Christians not be luke-warm Laodiceans.
In my opinion, Not God Enough would be useful not only for Christians, but for lost individuals God seems to be drawing slowly to Himself. There is an apologetic tone to parts of the book, and it is very well done.
Greer's writing style is accessible for the John-Doe-man-of-the-street. It's not academic but very practical, very real, and sometimes packs a wallop.
Five stars, highly recommended.
In my opinion, Not God Enough would be useful not only for Christians, but for lost individuals God seems to be drawing slowly to Himself. There is an apologetic tone to parts of the book, and it is very well done.
Greer's writing style is accessible for the John-Doe-man-of-the-street. It's not academic but very practical, very real, and sometimes packs a wallop.
Five stars, highly recommended.
April 6, 2018
Not technically a theology book, yet it presents many things about the greatness of God. The author encourages us to live and pray in light of the reality of a big God. The book is practical and the author uses illustrations effectively throughout the book. Highly recommended!
January 15, 2019
First sentence: For much of my life, I have struggled with my faith. I always wanted to believe, knew that I was supposed to believe, and hoped deep down inside that I really did believe...I’ve come to see that the problem—my lack of faith, my passionless heart, and my struggle to surrender—came from a fundamental deficiency in how I saw God.
In Not God Enough, J.D. Greear argues that if you're struggling with God--whether you're angry, disappointed, doubting--chances are that your God isn't BIG enough. Or, to rephrase that, YOUR God may be a God of your own making and not the God revealed by Scripture. It is of the utmost importance that the God you worship be the one true God.
Has Western culture made God small? Has Western culture made God domesticated? Sadly, I think the answer tends to be yes to both questions. J.D. Greear writes,
"We present God as the best way to a happy and prosperous life. We show how God is the best explanation for unanswered questions and the best means to the life we desire. Our worship services seem more like pep rallies accompanied by practical tips for living than encounters with the God who stands beyond time and whose presence is indescribably glorious. Ironically, our “diminished” God feels, for a while, easier to believe in. He acts in ways we can understand, explain, predict, and even control. He rarely offends us, so we are not embarrassed to talk about him with our friends. He helps us find our meaning and purpose. We think everyone should try him."
A small God can't be worshipped and adored. A small God can't be feared. The God of THE WORD is to be feared and worshiped.
Of the book's purpose he writes, "In this book, I want to give you a vision, as best I can, of God as he really is. Not the domesticated, practical, fix-it-and-make-you-feel-good god of Western Christianity, but the real one." He continues, "In order to discover this awesome god, we are going to delve into the faith encounters of several biblical heroes, but there’s one in particular we will keep coming back to: Moses...he wanted Moses’s experience to be both a comfort to us when we doubt and an example of how to follow God in the midst of doubt."
I really liked this one. I love that Greear quotes some of my favorite authors. I love his honesty and his passion for the gospel. I didn't agree with every single sentence in this one. There were one or two sentences in this one that felt a tiny bit off--in terms of not being quite Reformed enough. But overall I'd recommend this one.
In Not God Enough, J.D. Greear argues that if you're struggling with God--whether you're angry, disappointed, doubting--chances are that your God isn't BIG enough. Or, to rephrase that, YOUR God may be a God of your own making and not the God revealed by Scripture. It is of the utmost importance that the God you worship be the one true God.
Has Western culture made God small? Has Western culture made God domesticated? Sadly, I think the answer tends to be yes to both questions. J.D. Greear writes,
"We present God as the best way to a happy and prosperous life. We show how God is the best explanation for unanswered questions and the best means to the life we desire. Our worship services seem more like pep rallies accompanied by practical tips for living than encounters with the God who stands beyond time and whose presence is indescribably glorious. Ironically, our “diminished” God feels, for a while, easier to believe in. He acts in ways we can understand, explain, predict, and even control. He rarely offends us, so we are not embarrassed to talk about him with our friends. He helps us find our meaning and purpose. We think everyone should try him."
A small God can't be worshipped and adored. A small God can't be feared. The God of THE WORD is to be feared and worshiped.
Of the book's purpose he writes, "In this book, I want to give you a vision, as best I can, of God as he really is. Not the domesticated, practical, fix-it-and-make-you-feel-good god of Western Christianity, but the real one." He continues, "In order to discover this awesome god, we are going to delve into the faith encounters of several biblical heroes, but there’s one in particular we will keep coming back to: Moses...he wanted Moses’s experience to be both a comfort to us when we doubt and an example of how to follow God in the midst of doubt."
I really liked this one. I love that Greear quotes some of my favorite authors. I love his honesty and his passion for the gospel. I didn't agree with every single sentence in this one. There were one or two sentences in this one that felt a tiny bit off--in terms of not being quite Reformed enough. But overall I'd recommend this one.
February 24, 2018
This is a tough title. How could God be ‘not God enough” but that seems to be the box that most people, at one time or another try to put Him in. Books have been written around the idea that the God we envision is way smaller than the reality of God. We dream too small, and we pray too small. We expect too little of the God of the universe, the God that is bigger than anything that we can imagine. When we don’t believe in the greatness of God, we don’t believe that He is capable of caring for all of our needs, and so we try to take control. And when mere humans tackle God sized jobs, thinking that God needs our help, the results are often disastrous.
Using scripture, personal stories and the stories of friends and acquaintances, in Not God Enough: Why Your Small God Leads to Big Problems (Zondervan, 2018) J. D. Greear talks about how we miss out on all that an infinite God can do when we try to understand Him with our finite minds. He reminds us of how big, how great God really is; and reminds us of God's promises to us. We might be small, but God is bigger than any of us can imagine. We say I can’t but God reminds us that what for man is impossible, is not a problem for God. With God in us, we can do so much more than anyone can imagine.
This book is a call to humility. When we think we’ve got it all together we tend to forget that wee need God. When we’re humbled, broken, and convinced that we can’t, then we’re willing to turn to God, and let God do through us what we can't do for ourselves.
5/5
Using scripture, personal stories and the stories of friends and acquaintances, in Not God Enough: Why Your Small God Leads to Big Problems (Zondervan, 2018) J. D. Greear talks about how we miss out on all that an infinite God can do when we try to understand Him with our finite minds. He reminds us of how big, how great God really is; and reminds us of God's promises to us. We might be small, but God is bigger than any of us can imagine. We say I can’t but God reminds us that what for man is impossible, is not a problem for God. With God in us, we can do so much more than anyone can imagine.
This book is a call to humility. When we think we’ve got it all together we tend to forget that wee need God. When we’re humbled, broken, and convinced that we can’t, then we’re willing to turn to God, and let God do through us what we can't do for ourselves.
5/5
February 15, 2019
Greear has become my new favorite Christian author (alongside Tim Keller). He has both a deep grasp of the critical aspects of faith and an ability to convey those aspects faithfully and engagingly. In this book, Greear lays out the core aspects of Christianity (a sovereign holy God, His indescribable love for His people) and what that means for how His followers ought to live. More than that, He rightly explains the core flaw in people’s theology that causes them doubt or lack of passion: they believe in a God that is too small. That is, we idolize ourselves and create God in our own image; no wonder that God fails us. But if we accept God for who He says He is and that His power, authority, and wisdom are beyond our ability to comprehend; well, worship of that kind of God is fulfilling, meaningful, and powerful. Non-Christian readers will get an introduction to the fundamentals of the faith (and not the watered down American Christianity that has been caricatured by the larger culture). Christian readers will be challenged to analyze the ways they make God too small. One of the best Christian books I’ve read.
December 11, 2020
My biggest takeaway from NGE is Greear's insight into divine hiddenness. This has always bothered me. It's hard to relate to a being when you can't use your physical senses, but God presents a particular challenge. He is so holy that to experience Him this way would literally kill you. Suddenly the hiddenness of God isn’t such a bad thing!
April 15, 2018
Excellent. Most of us, if not all, cannot fathom a God as big as ours and thus, He is always too small.
March 12, 2021
I read this book as part of a book club and it prompted good discussion. I'd definitely consider reading more by this author.
October 30, 2021
An excellent writing that points the heart and mind back to the Truth found in God’s Word about who He is. He is, not was, “I AM.” A call to believe in God and the Truth and promises that He proclaims to us. His power will always exist. We need simply to believe, pray, and truly trust, leaving the rest up to Him. Any book that points us back to the Word is worth reading so be prepared to read “Not God Enough” with the Bible right next to you.
May 18, 2022
Incredible book. Definitely one that merits rereading periodically throughout one’s life.
June 24, 2022
Nothing really new or particularly insightful here for me, but it was nice to listen to throughout the day and be reminded of truths about God. It’s free an audible with a subscription!
August 26, 2024
Great upward focus, showcasing our magnificent and great God! I listened to the audio book.
July 2, 2019
If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would! It was convicting, challenging, and encouraging.
December 3, 2017
*I read a digital ARC of this title from the publisher via NetGalley.
February 21, 2018
JD asks real skeptical questions and touches on doubts we all have. This is my second read from JD and I'm yet again blown away. He doesn't hold back or hide from the tough stuff. And wow does he have some great biblical responses to the problem of pain and suffering! I took down pages of notes. It's really true, the most important belief we have is who God is. I'd recommend this to anyone with doubts or anyone struggling with unanswered prayer. God is not a salad bar!
October 24, 2018
J.D. Greear is the pastor of one of the fastest growing churches in American and also the current President of the Southern Baptist Convention. He writes that if we want to think properly about God, we must first stand properly humbled before him. In this book, he wants to give us a vision of God as he really is. The book is about how you can know, trust and love God. It’s about how to hear God when he speaks and about understanding what humility before him looks like. It’s about discovering that he really is for you and that his Spirit lives in you. It’s about knowing that God is big enough, that he cares enough, and that you can trust him.
He tells us what we think about God determines everything else in our lives: what we value, what we pursue, and how we pursue it. Our vision of God also determines whether our beliefs will make it through the inevitable storms of doubt, temptation, and suffering that life brings. He tells us that when we really see God we’ll either love him or hate him. The one thing we will not be is bored.
The author covers a number of subjects in this book including doubt, the fear of God, faith, sin and forgiveness, God’s glory, the gospel, prayer, God’s sovereignty and confidence. I appreciated the author’s overall emphasis in the book that we don’t see God as he truly is. For example, he writes “Most Christians haven’t rejected God; they have just reduced him”.
I had some concern with his discussion of God’s sovereignty late in the book. For example, he writes “This is not to say that we control God with our faith, but that in his sovereignty he has conditioned the outpouring of his power on the exercise of our faith. When we trust him, he moves; when we don’t, he doesn’t. That actually does seem like he is saying that we do in fact control God with our faith, and appears to contradict the message of the book about seeing God as he truly is. Overall, however, I enjoyed the book and highlighted a number of passages as I read it. Below are 20 of the best quotes from the book:
1. Doubt happens when the superficialities of your faith meet the realities of this world. Doubt can lead you to awe, and awe can lead you to worship.
2. The fear of God precedes faith. It fuels our adoration of him and undergirds our understanding of his love. Worship, faith, passion, and obedience can flourish only in the soil of awestruck wonder.
3. A God we can predict, instruct, and control is not a God who will captivate our affections or command our devotion. He’s not God enough.
4. Because we have made him small enough to be understood, he is no longer big enough to be worshiped.
5. We can truly know God only when we see that everything else we rely on—our intelligence, our virtue, our possessions, our religion, and even our relationships—are worthless in our pursuit to understand, please, and serve the only one who matters.
6. The incredible news of the gospel is that while God’s holiness demands perfection, his love was gracious enough to supply it for us through a substitute.
7. Having faith does not mean having all your questions answered but perceiving that there is One who does have all the answers.
8. Like the children of Israel, we have to choose which god to pursue: an infinite God who will sometimes confuse us and contradict us, or a small god that neither satisfies nor saves us.
9. Knowing Jesus requires a total, unconditional surrender of your spirit. He becomes your identity, your goal, and your hope.
10. The beauty of the gospel is that the One who has the right to condemn us has also made provision for our forgiveness.
11. Either he is the Savior to whom we owe everything, or someone has told us a stupendous lie. It has to be one or the other. We must either reject him as a delusion or worship him as our Savior. There is no third alternative.
12. God’s glory, not man’s, is the underlying foundation of God’s work.
13. You will never understand your purpose in life until you see God’s glory as the center of it all and its centrality as the greatest thing possible for humanity.
14. Nothing is more liberating than embracing that the events of your life are not primarily about you, that God is the main character in this story, and that the pursuit of his glory is history’s driving theme.
15. We who have been saved by extravagant grace are not free to spend our lives however we please. We owe the lost the gospel, and we only have one lifetime to fulfill our obligation to them.
16. There’s nothing wrong with a career in law, politics, teaching, sports, or business. God gifts many believers for these fields. The point is that any experience of grace brings with it the sacred responsibility to share that experience. You must consider how your profession can be leveraged for the mission.
17. Evangelism is not a task that you put on a spiritual to-do list. Evangelism is the overflow of genuine belief in the gospel.
18. Our weaknesses are places where we naturally lean into him. Our strengths are usually those places we forget him. Beware your strengths, not your weaknesses.
19. Confidence in the Christian life comes not from looking within at your talents but above to God’s grace.
20. Sometimes God answers our prayers by giving us what we would have asked for had we known what he knows.
He tells us what we think about God determines everything else in our lives: what we value, what we pursue, and how we pursue it. Our vision of God also determines whether our beliefs will make it through the inevitable storms of doubt, temptation, and suffering that life brings. He tells us that when we really see God we’ll either love him or hate him. The one thing we will not be is bored.
The author covers a number of subjects in this book including doubt, the fear of God, faith, sin and forgiveness, God’s glory, the gospel, prayer, God’s sovereignty and confidence. I appreciated the author’s overall emphasis in the book that we don’t see God as he truly is. For example, he writes “Most Christians haven’t rejected God; they have just reduced him”.
I had some concern with his discussion of God’s sovereignty late in the book. For example, he writes “This is not to say that we control God with our faith, but that in his sovereignty he has conditioned the outpouring of his power on the exercise of our faith. When we trust him, he moves; when we don’t, he doesn’t. That actually does seem like he is saying that we do in fact control God with our faith, and appears to contradict the message of the book about seeing God as he truly is. Overall, however, I enjoyed the book and highlighted a number of passages as I read it. Below are 20 of the best quotes from the book:
1. Doubt happens when the superficialities of your faith meet the realities of this world. Doubt can lead you to awe, and awe can lead you to worship.
2. The fear of God precedes faith. It fuels our adoration of him and undergirds our understanding of his love. Worship, faith, passion, and obedience can flourish only in the soil of awestruck wonder.
3. A God we can predict, instruct, and control is not a God who will captivate our affections or command our devotion. He’s not God enough.
4. Because we have made him small enough to be understood, he is no longer big enough to be worshiped.
5. We can truly know God only when we see that everything else we rely on—our intelligence, our virtue, our possessions, our religion, and even our relationships—are worthless in our pursuit to understand, please, and serve the only one who matters.
6. The incredible news of the gospel is that while God’s holiness demands perfection, his love was gracious enough to supply it for us through a substitute.
7. Having faith does not mean having all your questions answered but perceiving that there is One who does have all the answers.
8. Like the children of Israel, we have to choose which god to pursue: an infinite God who will sometimes confuse us and contradict us, or a small god that neither satisfies nor saves us.
9. Knowing Jesus requires a total, unconditional surrender of your spirit. He becomes your identity, your goal, and your hope.
10. The beauty of the gospel is that the One who has the right to condemn us has also made provision for our forgiveness.
11. Either he is the Savior to whom we owe everything, or someone has told us a stupendous lie. It has to be one or the other. We must either reject him as a delusion or worship him as our Savior. There is no third alternative.
12. God’s glory, not man’s, is the underlying foundation of God’s work.
13. You will never understand your purpose in life until you see God’s glory as the center of it all and its centrality as the greatest thing possible for humanity.
14. Nothing is more liberating than embracing that the events of your life are not primarily about you, that God is the main character in this story, and that the pursuit of his glory is history’s driving theme.
15. We who have been saved by extravagant grace are not free to spend our lives however we please. We owe the lost the gospel, and we only have one lifetime to fulfill our obligation to them.
16. There’s nothing wrong with a career in law, politics, teaching, sports, or business. God gifts many believers for these fields. The point is that any experience of grace brings with it the sacred responsibility to share that experience. You must consider how your profession can be leveraged for the mission.
17. Evangelism is not a task that you put on a spiritual to-do list. Evangelism is the overflow of genuine belief in the gospel.
18. Our weaknesses are places where we naturally lean into him. Our strengths are usually those places we forget him. Beware your strengths, not your weaknesses.
19. Confidence in the Christian life comes not from looking within at your talents but above to God’s grace.
20. Sometimes God answers our prayers by giving us what we would have asked for had we known what he knows.
February 3, 2019
The premise of J. D. Greear’s Not God Enough needs to be repeated wherever Christ’s people are gathered: we often make God small enough to be understood, rendering him no longer big enough to be worshiped. The resulting idol does not inspire worshipful fear or wilful trust but produces doubt, despair, and spiritual decline. We are left faithless and fruitless.
This accessible and personable yet pointed book broadly revolves around Moses’ divine encounter at the burning bush, and is divided into three parts. In “God Is”, Greear confesses his own past struggles with doubt, providing a helpful theodicean apologetic for God’s existence and attributes. “God is good” focuses on God’s sovereign wrath and love, which redemptively meet at the cross of Christ. Finally, in “Bold Faith in a Big God”, Greear demonstrates what God’s sovereignty means for us: basically we need to get over ourselves, be amazed by God, and press forward on gospel-centred, faith-filled mission.
Greear’s American context does not render his message irrelevant elsewhere - indeed, those crippled by the gloom-mongering pervasive folly of British churches that “these are the days of small things” would do well to read this book.
Greear is maligned by some in his circle of churches for being a “Calvinist”, while others argue that he is not “Calvinist” enough. Both groups deprive themselves of blessing and benefit. Unlike the dry doctrine and doctrine-less dross often in circulation, Not God Enough refreshed me and led me to worship - it may you too!
This accessible and personable yet pointed book broadly revolves around Moses’ divine encounter at the burning bush, and is divided into three parts. In “God Is”, Greear confesses his own past struggles with doubt, providing a helpful theodicean apologetic for God’s existence and attributes. “God is good” focuses on God’s sovereign wrath and love, which redemptively meet at the cross of Christ. Finally, in “Bold Faith in a Big God”, Greear demonstrates what God’s sovereignty means for us: basically we need to get over ourselves, be amazed by God, and press forward on gospel-centred, faith-filled mission.
Greear’s American context does not render his message irrelevant elsewhere - indeed, those crippled by the gloom-mongering pervasive folly of British churches that “these are the days of small things” would do well to read this book.
Greear is maligned by some in his circle of churches for being a “Calvinist”, while others argue that he is not “Calvinist” enough. Both groups deprive themselves of blessing and benefit. Unlike the dry doctrine and doctrine-less dross often in circulation, Not God Enough refreshed me and led me to worship - it may you too!
November 21, 2020
Not God Enough takes aim at our attempt to bring God down to a scale at which we can manage him and treat him as a neat add-on to an orderly life. The author suggests that God is of a greatness we will never understand. Consequently, if we seek to understand him before believing in him, we will never believe.
For those who struggle with faith, the author's answer is a non-answer. He too believes and hopes that in the end, we will all see the reasons(s) for why God allows so much suffering of innocent people and animals to continue day in and out.
Furthermore, and perhaps not surprising, the book says that anyone who does not believe exactly as prescribed in the book has gone or will go to hell no matter how kind-hearted or otherwise "jesus-like" the person may have been. The author suggests that unless you make converting everyone you meet to this exact type of believe your highest priority in life, you are an imposter rather than a believer.
On the plus side, Mr. Greear does spend some time in a section near the very end of the book, encouraging the reader not to give in to feelings of inadequacy when feeling called to a certain task or course of action. If you hear and feel God's calling, go for it and do it. In his strength, there is nothing you can't do.
For those who struggle with faith, the author's answer is a non-answer. He too believes and hopes that in the end, we will all see the reasons(s) for why God allows so much suffering of innocent people and animals to continue day in and out.
Furthermore, and perhaps not surprising, the book says that anyone who does not believe exactly as prescribed in the book has gone or will go to hell no matter how kind-hearted or otherwise "jesus-like" the person may have been. The author suggests that unless you make converting everyone you meet to this exact type of believe your highest priority in life, you are an imposter rather than a believer.
On the plus side, Mr. Greear does spend some time in a section near the very end of the book, encouraging the reader not to give in to feelings of inadequacy when feeling called to a certain task or course of action. If you hear and feel God's calling, go for it and do it. In his strength, there is nothing you can't do.
November 16, 2020
One of my favorite quotes from The Chronicles of Narnia is when Susan asks if Aslan is safe and Mr Beaver replies, "'Course he isn't safe. But he's good.” That line captured my mind from the first moment I heard it, and it's come back to me many times over the years of learning more about God.
Far too often, I want Him to be safe. Predictible. Understandable. But He isn't. And every single time I ask Him about this, God counters me with, "Will you trust me anyway?" To a large degree, that's what this book did for me again. It calls out the fact that I want God to be safe and predictable, but that is not who God is, doesn't sum up His purpose in or for me, and is never what my focus or intent should be. And still He asks, will I trust Him anyway?
This book was gentle yet challenging. Easy to read yet put a pause in my thinking. Understandable yet caused me to consider which areas of my life were missing the beauty of a God that is big and mighty and wondrous.
Far too often, I want Him to be safe. Predictible. Understandable. But He isn't. And every single time I ask Him about this, God counters me with, "Will you trust me anyway?" To a large degree, that's what this book did for me again. It calls out the fact that I want God to be safe and predictable, but that is not who God is, doesn't sum up His purpose in or for me, and is never what my focus or intent should be. And still He asks, will I trust Him anyway?
This book was gentle yet challenging. Easy to read yet put a pause in my thinking. Understandable yet caused me to consider which areas of my life were missing the beauty of a God that is big and mighty and wondrous.
August 27, 2019
Wow! What a great read! J.D. Greear has a great voice, filled with funny, powerful stories, relevant examples and a clear call to what biblical Christianity is all about. Anyone who wants to learn more about Christianity should read this book, and anyone who grew up Christian but has been feeling like they are missing something should read this book. Actually, everyone should just read this book. And then re-read it when you need to remember. It's like reading C.S. Lewis at a much more accessible level, but it really satisfies your soul. If you have ever had doubts, or if you are going through a spiritual slump this is the perfect book for you. And even if you are on fire for Jesus, this is still a great read!
June 4, 2019
There wasn't much new in this book that I hadn't already heard JD preach, but it was helpful going through familiar things I've heard him say via a different medium. Reading allowed me to go a little slower and more worshipful through concepts such as God’s greatness, love, glory, wisdom, and worthiness despite not understanding everything about Him. I tend to view God's glory as greater than His love, to almost separate the two. But one of my largest takeaways was the intertwining of God's glory and love, to see that God is glorious in the way that He loves. Chapter 15 was also helpful in recovering a burden for His mission amidst a world of overwhelming lostness.
February 12, 2021
Perhaps man's greatest problem is that he sees himself too big and views God as too small; this problem is just as prevalent in the Christian community as well. J.D. Greear through personal experiences shared as well as Bible stories and passages demonstrates how our view of God creates great problems in our lives. Really good read - it talks about exactly what is says "why your small God leads to Big Problems." It is good at helping readers see this issue, but not as good at giving practical guidance on how to change this problem.
February 14, 2019
Great book. I’d recommend it to anyone!
Only three stars because there were a BUNCH of stories regurgitated from another fantastic Greear book, “Gaining by Losing” (or perhaps it’s the other way around). So much so, in fact, that twice I had to check to make sure I hadn’t accidentally opened the wrong book on my kindle! I didn’t like that much at all.
Having said that, if you’ve not read “Gaining by Losing”, or in fact even if you have, it’s totally worth the read.
Only three stars because there were a BUNCH of stories regurgitated from another fantastic Greear book, “Gaining by Losing” (or perhaps it’s the other way around). So much so, in fact, that twice I had to check to make sure I hadn’t accidentally opened the wrong book on my kindle! I didn’t like that much at all.
Having said that, if you’ve not read “Gaining by Losing”, or in fact even if you have, it’s totally worth the read.
March 17, 2020
This is a good book for someone searching. I gave it 3 stars mostly because I have read many other books saying basically the same thing. I also must say that I "read" this as an audio book. So the narrator was not quite engaging. This is totally a preference thing for me.
It would be a good book to make begin discipling someone who is new in their faith and struggling with some of the challenges we all face when seeing God more like us instead of the One that he is.
It would be a good book to make begin discipling someone who is new in their faith and struggling with some of the challenges we all face when seeing God more like us instead of the One that he is.
October 20, 2020
This book is so needed in today’s world. People often say, “My God is not like that” but this book shows on so many levels how we do not get the freedom to pick and choose parts of God we like. God is who he is, and we can worship and glorify him as he is, but we do not get to add or take away from his being. He is so much bigger and better than we even can imagine or give him credit for. Fascinating and eye opening book! Short and simple and to the point.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews